The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-12
THE TRAVEL TO FLORIDA
EFFECT OF REDUCTION IN PAS
SAGE RATES.

Favor of Cheap Excursions, But OPP
posed to General Reduction-Why
it Cannot Stand 1t.
Col Q. D. Owens returned yesterday from
Florida, where he has been to argue the
case. of the Savannah, Florida and Western
railway before the Florida Railroad Com
mission, and to consult with the representa-
tives of the Western lines, who are urging
the commission to force the Savannah
Florida and Western into reduction of its
passage rates. Mr.. Owens was seen yester-
day by a MORNING NEWS reporter and was
asked his views upon the situation in
Florida.
II was very pleasantly impressed with the
Florida Railroad Commissioners. he re-
piled. "They were extremely courteous
and considerate, and they are giving the
railroad people patient and, believe, an
intelligent hearing. i believe that they are
sincerely DESTROYS OF doing their duty, and
are trying their very best to master the
problems they are confronted with. / do
not think it possible that in the limited time
that has elapsed since their appointment to
office they could possibly grasp the situation
in all its fullness 1t would require a
special miracle to enable them to do so.
| % Lar Iut1 nave JIdCb Ctlly dAlODleu bL6
Georgia tariff of rates for freight and pas
sage. and propose altering those rates by
percentages to the roads based on the differ
ing conditions of each"
OPPOSED TO REDUCTION.
"Do the roads look favorably upon the
proposed reduction"
"A reduction of rates on any of the roads
in Florida is bound to work great hard
ships. The decisions on the present appeals
Izs he.
have yet to be announced, and it is reason
able to suppose that they will wait awhile
before finally determining upon any con-
siderable reduction in the present tariffs
The principal trunk line in the State, the
Florida Railway and Navigation Company,
of SIG miles, has been in the hands of re-
ceiver for the past three years, and during
the receivership an additional debt of over
81 100000 has been incurred. The South
Florida road, from Sanford to Tampa,
with its branches, 207 miles in all, has run
s62,O 900 in the past nine months.
The General Manager of the Florida South
ern, from Palatka to Brooksville, and
branches from Barlow to Punta Gorda,
nearly 800 miles in all, reports his inability
to more than earn operating expenses; the
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West, with
a mileage of 200 miles, show that they are
barely earning operating expenses; the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway
have $50 miles in Florida, and as
q matter of fact, have not taken a
dollars profit out of the property: on the
contrary they have been assessed for adj
ditions and improvements; hoping for their
| reward in the future development of the
State 1t is hardly fair for me- however,
to pelt reporter with chestnuts' All of
these arguments and many others of greater
pith are now being submitted to the COM
missioners.n
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT RATES.
81 see by the papers that there is consider
able uncertainty about the passage rates
to Florida for the coming season, and ap-
parently there is "A conflict between the
Western lines aud the Florida roads on the
subject of cheap rates. Are the roads at
war?n
1.-The differences between the several lines
are as to the means to accomplish an end.
The Savannah, Florida and Western rail
| way is very anxious to secure the benefit of
the very cheapest possible rate for immi-
grants and settlers. They have proposed to
their Western connections to unite in run
ming special excursions from the Ohio river
points, once a week or oftener if
found necessary We think that the
same style of immigrant sleeper
as at present in use on the trans-continental
lines should be attached; believing that it is
a greater inducement to the seeker after
lands to have sleeping berth free of cost.
These cheap excursion tickets could be ar
ranged by one route coming into the State
and different route on leaving if. For in
stance, lot of land-seekers might enter the
State via Waycross and leave via the
Florida Railway and Navigation, and Pen
sacola. Then interior routes in the State
could be arranged on the same plan; this
would give the land seekers an opportunity
of seeing all parts of the State reached by
its railroads For this class of business the
Savannah, Florida and Western has offered
its connections a strict pro rata, or i'll other
words, the same per mile rate that
they get. The Western lines declined
this, but demanded a reduction on the regu-
, | lar straight and round trip fares. The Sa..
vannah, Florida and Western, while pro-
testing against this wholesale reduction on
the entire volume of its business, believing
that the regular tourists, who yearly visit
the State for health and pleasure, stopping
at the best hotels during the season, could
we'll afford to pay the present passage rates,
yielded their objections and offered to par
} ticipate in the reduction up TO May next
This was rejected and the demand made
that the rates should be continued west
bound from the State during the summer,
Thus the matter stands. Not only are we
threatened by local reduction of our pass
age rates in the State by action of its Com
mlSsioDers but our connecting lines are Wig
orously moving ON our breastworks with
the same objective point in view viz the de-
pletion of our treasury"
why cannot the Savannah, Florida and
Western stand a reduction in its passage
ratesn
CANNOT STAND A REDUCTION
"Our road does more train service for the
amount of passengers handled, than any
road in the United States for a similar
amount of business. If you will look on
the map of our system, you will see the
functional points are Savannah. Jesup,
Waycross, Albany, Chattahoochee and
Gainesville. At these points we exchange
through cars and sleepers, and our friends
} of the Western lines compete with each
J other for business from common points
Their competition finds expression in these
through cars and sleepers, and on lis rests
, the burden Of hauling these cars.
Many of them do n very limited amount of
business but as we are DESTROYS to remain on
good terms with orr neighbors, we have not
hitherto objected to the very considerable
expense this policy has entaiied upon Us. TO
what extent we can afford TO continue this
depends in great measure upon the rates
of passage yet 20 be determined upon by the
passenger agents OF tins w estern lines Ii
our revenue is TO be curtaiied TO a non-pay-
, inc tOOt * tanp,. yl,a.t t,rpbnbla tbof 1xra